The mighty battle raged on the field as the powerful monkey warrior tore up great trees—ashvakarna and many others—and hurled them with force at his foe. The sky darkened under this rain of trees, a barrage nearly impossible to endure, but Kumbhakarna’s illustrious son, Kumbha, stood undaunted. With sharp, precise arrows, he cut down the flying trees, shattering them in midair like dreadful engines of war. The valiant lord of the monkeys, Sugriva, watched as his assault was turned aside, yet he did not falter. Though struck by Kumbha’s sudden, fierce arrows, Sugriva endured them with steadfast courage. Sugriva then seized Kumbha’s radiant bow, which gleamed like Indra’s own, and broke it in a feat of great difficulty and speed. Leaping forward with swift might, he confronted Kumbha directly. With anger burning in his heart, Sugriva addressed his adversary as one might speak to an elephant with its tusk broken, saying, “O elder brother of Nikumbha, truly your strength and the force of your arrows are astonishing! Your dignity and power—be they yours or Ravana’s—are like those of Prahlada, Bali, the slayer of Vritra, Kubera, or Varuna. You alone have been born a son mightier than your father; you alone, mighty-armed and spear-wielding, are the destroyer of foes. The gods themselves do not surpass you, just as sorrows cannot overcome one who has mastered his senses. Now act with your great intelligence, and behold my deeds. “By your uncle’s boon, you withstand gods and demons alike, just as Kumbhakarna, by his might, withstood both devas and asuras. Let all beings today witness the wondrous, great contest between us, like the battle of Shakra and Shambara. You have performed unparalleled deeds and displayed skill in weapons; these heroic monkeys of terrible valor have fallen to you. And, O hero, you have not been slain by me for fear of reproach. Having completed your task and grown weary, rest and witness my strength.” Sugriva’s words, though laced with both honor and a touch of disdain, only fueled Kumbha’s brilliance, like a fire blazing higher when clarified butter is poured upon it. Then Kumbha, enraged, seized Sugriva in his arms. The two warriors, both exhaling heavily like maddened elephants, became entwined, their limbs locked in a fierce struggle. Grinding against each other, they released smoky flames from their mouths, the sign of their exhaustion. Their battle shook the very earth beneath their feet, causing it to sink, while the ocean—abode of Varuna—was violently churned, its waves rising in turmoil. At last, Sugriva, mustering all his strength, lifted Kumbha and hurled him with tremendous force into the salt waters, revealing the ocean’s very floor. From Kumbha’s fall, a mass of water surged up, towering and spreading in all directions like Mount Vindhya or Mandara. Yet Kumbha, undeterred, leapt up from the depths and rushed at Sugriva, striking his chest in anger with a fist as hard as a thunderbolt. The blow burst open Sugriva’s armor, drew blood, and struck his bones with immense force. From the impact, a great blazing energy flared forth, like a flame produced by a thunderbolt striking Mount Meru. Though struck, Sugriva, the foremost of monkeys, gathered his own mighty fist, shining with the brilliance of a thousand rays of fire, and struck Kumbha on the chest. The blow overwhelmed Kumbha, who fell, tormented and powerless, like a fire whose flames have been extinguished. He fell swiftly, like the red planet Mars, its rays blazing, plummeting from the sky by chance. As Kumbha’s form fell, his chest shattered by Sugriva’s fist, he shone like the bull of the cows struck down by Rudra. When that Kumbha, of terrible valor, was slain in battle by Sugriva, the earth with its mountains and forests trembled, and a greater fear entered the hearts of the demons. Now, hear how the next sarga unfolds. Seeing his brother struck down by Sugriva, Nikumbha was consumed by anger. He glared at the king of the monkeys as if to devour him with his gaze. Then the steadfast Nikumbha seized a splendid iron club, adorned with a garland and five handles, its bulk resembling the peak of Mahendra. Encircled with golden bands, decorated with diamonds and coral, dreadful as Yama’s staff, it was the destroyer of demon terror. Nikumbha, mighty and radiant, struck out and roared, his mouth wide open, his strength like Indra’s own banner. With a golden necklace on his chest, armlets on his arms, two gleaming earrings, and a decorated garland, Nikumbha shone with his ornaments and club, like a cloud with lightning and thunder shining beneath a rainbow. The tip of his club, tightly bound by the wind, blazed forth with a loud sound, like smokeless fire. As he whirled the club, it seemed to spin through the sky, resembling the city of Vithapavati with its Gandharva palaces, stars, planets, the moon, and great celestial bodies. Blazing with the brilliance of his club and ornaments, Nikumbha, burning with wrath, appeared like the fire at the end of the age. Neither rakshasas nor monkeys dared approach him, paralyzed by fear. But Hanuman, mighty and resolute, stood at the front, his chest expanded with courage. With arms like clubs, Hanuman, the most powerful among the powerful, hurled a club shining like the sun straight at Nikumbha’s chest.